Chronodisruption: An untimely cause of preterm birth?

Lauren Reschke, Ronald McCarthy, Erik D. Herzog, Justin C. Fay, Emily S. Jungheim, Sarah K. England*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

22 Scopus citations

Abstract

Circadian rhythms, endogenous and entrainable adaptations to 24-hour cycles of light and dark, influence almost all physiologic functions. Emerging evidence suggests that the disruption of normal circadian rhythms, termed chronodisruption, could affect a wide range of disease-related processes. In this review, we describe the molecular generation of circadian rhythms, the effects of chronodisruption on human health, the circadian timing of birth in multiple species, the possible effects of chronodisruption on preterm birth, and some of the open questions in this field.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)60-67
Number of pages8
JournalBest Practice and Research: Clinical Obstetrics and Gynaecology
Volume52
DOIs
StatePublished - Oct 2018

Funding

We thank Dr. Deborah J. Frank for critical reading and editing of the manuscript. We thank Kimen Design4Research for creating the figure used in this review. This work was supported by the March of Dimes Prematurity Research Center at Washington University in St. Louis (to S.K.E., E.D.H., J.C.F., and E.S.J.).

Keywords

  • Chronodisruption
  • Circadian rhythms
  • Pregnancy
  • Preterm birth

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Obstetrics and Gynecology

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